Telkom ADSL 'Self Install' now available

My 2nd (and hopefully successful) ISDN to ADSL order request.

It was only after advice from forumites and friends that I knew how to ask for what I wanted. As luck would have it, the Telkom consultant I ended up with was pleasant, knowledgable and co-operative.

This time I got transferred around for 5-10 minutes for some reason, possibly due to dialing the wrong 0800 number (u see I have to ask our receptionist to dial 08 numbers...)

Date & Time: 13/11/2006@13:05 I 'dialled' the 0800375375 number.
Person & Location: Sibongile (CT broadband center) 13:15? to 13:30.

I told her we want to order ADSL

She said that: Our exchange supports DSL. It is DSL 384+ ready. This does not guarantee that they can provide a service.

She said it's R245 for DSL 384, R99 for the analogue line.

At this point I mentioned that we have ISDN and that they will have to remove it.
They don't charge to remove the ISDN equipment she says.
She took my email address and contact numbers.

At this point I mentioned that we wanted a self-install.
She said that we "can opt for the self-install".

She offered me the Telkom-Internet ISP offering of 2gb for R199 as well as the 2 year contract with free modem. I told her I don't want to sign a contract and I will get my own ISP and modem.

She then confirmed that I opt for the self-install option and that I will be on a monthly charge of R245.
She mentioned that the Telkom modem comes with 2 microfilters. I said I would get the microfilters from a Telkom shop.

Order/reference number: 21461**/14

She said they will contact me once they have done the conformance testing (in 2-3 weeks time). Hence self-install waiting period is 2-3 weeks, not 6-8 weeks with a Telkom techie R437.50 installation.

I asked who can I phone to follow up and she said 0800 456786.

She said she will email me the DSL letter confirming everything in the order, today!

I told her we are on the ISDN Closer Option 2.
She said this will automatically revert to a standard analogue Closer Option 2.
She said that I can phone in to double check that we are still on Option 2 on the day that they do the conversion.

I queried an indoor extension that they charge us R6.38 (ex VAT) for every month. She said that they won't charge to remove the indoor extension. For fear of messing up the order, I told her we won't do anything about this for now.

P.S. Am going to phone first thing today to double check that the order was placed with the technical people because she never sent me the email she said she was going to send.
P.P.S. ic, how would u recommend recording a conversation?
P.P.P.S. I am in the Rondebosch East (7780) area
 
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ryan411 said:
...
P.S. Am going to phone first thing today to double check that the order was placed with the technical people because she never sent me the email she said she was going to send.
P.P.S. ic, how would u recommend recording a conversation?
P.P.P.S. I am in the Rondebosch East (7780) area
Click to expand...
The moment I read what you posted about Telkodemonopolies asking for your email address, I knew I had to comment: all the times I have given Telkodemonopolies an email address to use, they have never emailed me anything - I think it's just a field on their screens that the call centre people fill in thinking that the people in the relevant department might actually use, but they never do - my experience that is, it's just amusing that they ask for it...:D

I know that some forumites have recorded their calls with Telkodemonopolies, basically there is some microphone type thing that one can buy and sucker onto the handset for the duration of the call and a normal tape recorder will do the trick if it has a jack for an external mic. I've never bothered recording my calls with Telkodemonopolies, but there is an amusement factor of telling the poor call centre person that one is recording the call for quality purposes - especially if they have ideas of telling callers that their exchange does not support self-install [which is of course bollocks bcos it has nothing to do with the exchange at all, and if one is buying one's own ADSL router|modem then Telkodemonopolies has no excuse whatsoever for denying self-install] :D.
 
I honestly can't imaging typing Telkodemonopolies out every time, what on earth for?

it's just Telkom, I promise you're not affecting them in any way by giving them some other name.
 
jacobstone said:
I honestly can't imaging typing Telkodemonopolies out every time, what on earth for?

it's just Telkom, I promise you're not affecting them in any way by giving them some other name.
Click to expand...

Then I guess u can't imagine typing it out 11,338 times :p

ic, I'll look out for the mic/jack conversion thingy. One could then feed that direct into one's pc line-in/mic-in I suppose :D
 
ic said:
The price difference between ADSL modems and ADSL routers is relatively small [depending on where you buy], I recommend going for an ADSL2+ Router with a decent built-in firewall [SPI].

Call, get the person's name rank & serial number, place the order for ADSL, insisting on a self-install & mention that you are buying your own ADSL router|modem [speak to person's supervisor if they say it's not available in your area or some such XMas-bonus carp - mention that their name will be posted on MyADSL if they refuse to co-operate and Sick Puppy Moletsane will probably be embarrassed by his money-grabbing employee of the month].

PS: if possible, record the call, and inform the call centre agent that he|she is being recorded for quality purposes...
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice. I made the call today (before I read this post - but the consultant was quite understanding of my need for self-install and to buy my own modem.

However they did say that self-install canot be guaranteed!!!!!!

Can you recommend a place that has reasonably priced modems/routers.
 
Modem/router prices

abuusamah said:
Can you recommend a place that has reasonably priced modems/routers.
Click to expand...

Perhaps contact terencevs on the forum. His billion modem/routers seem well priced and he gives a cash discount. They r running a special till end of November on the Billions I looked at. They may only be CT based so u have to pay for delivery since ur in Durban.

I'm planning on getting the 'Billion 7300G ADSL2+ Modem/Router with 4-port Switch'. Latest price on their website is R795. It's the wireless version of the 7300, which is even cheaper, in the R500 range.

The Billion routers would appear to be well respected on this forum in addition to being good value for money, as far as I can see. Bearing in mind I'm a newbie when it comes to ADSL modem/routers.

Other options online are Digital Planet and Megastore, so I suppose just price around before u buy.
 
jacobstone said:
I honestly can't imaging typing Telkodemonopolies out every time, what on earth for?

it's just Telkom, I promise you're not affecting them in any way by giving them some other name.
Click to expand...
It's my own unique way of venting :).
abuusamah said:
...
However they did say that self-install canot be guaranteed!!!!!!

Can you recommend a place that has reasonably priced modems/routers.
Click to expand...
Will p.m. a url of a company I buy from regularly :).

The way to deal with a call centre agent [even a seemingly polite one] telling you that self-install cannot be guaranteed, is to ask to speak to the person's manager :).

ADSL Modems & Routers​
The problem with ADSL modems, is that they do not have a builtin [hardware] firewall, and the great thing about broadband compared to dialup, is that with broadband, you are not charged per minute, so you can [theoretically] stay connected 24*7 [I do - except lately when there is lightning about], but you definitely need to be protected by a decent firewall - this also applies to dialup, but the chances of picking up something nasty, incease the longer you stay connected...

Obviously there are software firewalls available that will run in Windoze, but a hardware firewall is usually better for peace of mind.

As far as ADSL routers go, if your PC(s) has(have) an ethernet network card [or builtin to the mainboard] then rather go for an ethernet ADSL router instead of USB, USB will work in the beginning, but you might decide to switch to Linux at a later stage and then you will probably find that the USB ADSL modem doesn't have a driver for Linux [which is the case with the old Macaroni ADSL modems & routers that Telkodemonopolies use to sell at a hugely inflated price].

One cannot go wrong with an ADSL2+ ethernet router, and with a bit of shopping around, one should be able to get one for ± R500.

If one initially only has 1 PC that needs to be connected via ADSL, one can buy an ADSL2+ router that has only 1 ethernet port, and when more PCs are added later on, buy an 8 port ethernet switch [± R150] which then plugs into the ADSL router's ethernet port, and allows one to connect up to 8 PCs to the ADSL router...
 
ISDN to ADSL conversion continued...

Got my Billion 7300G from terencevs (Thanks Terence), but can't use it until Telkom comes to the party :(

This afternoon I phoned 0800 456786 (ADSL progress support) and got a guy called Ephraim, who co-incidentally I spoke to in my previous progress check.

In our previous conversation (24 November) he had told me that ports were available and they were awaiting port allocation.
After some more checking in today's conversation he said that a port had been allocated.

He said that they (the techies?) had tried to call me on 1 December. I cannot verify this from my side, but don’t seem to have received any missed calls or voicemails on that date.

He said he would put fwd a request for them to call me again.

He could not say when they would phone me.
So now I wait some more… :confused:


I wanna ask some technical ISDN to ADSL questions, but am at a loss of what to ask exactly and where to ask it.
I hope this is the right place!

1) If I have been allocated a port does that mean I am plugged into a DSLAM at present?
2) Can I potentially damage my ADSL modem/router by plugging in while the ISDN NTU is still part of the equation?
3) And if I plug in, where do I plug in? Before or after the line goes into the ISDN NTU? Assuming I can even figure that out because it's not like I have the documentation at my fingertips. I could post pics of the messy wiring if need be...

My Billion 7300G says on the packaging "This product is for connecting to an ADSL network - over POTS". A red sticker denotes this. The other option below it is "over ISDN".

<disclaimer> I am not in a major rush for ADSL since I am at work outside of callmore time... :p I would like to get it activated before I go on vac on 15 December though. That said, I don't feel a burning need to void any warranties or damage any property in trying any funny stuff ADSL modem/router related! So if it's the prudent thing to do, I don't mind being told by a fellow forumite to just be patient and wait till Telkom removes the damn ISDN NTU from my premises! :cool:
</disclaimer>
 
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ISDN to ADSL conversion at a price :@

Monday morning, 11/12/2006
Conversation 1
Bonita (from Telkom) calls me wanting to know whether they can install within 14 days time?? I mention it’s a self-install and she said it’s not specified as a self-install.
She told me that she will have to put the order thru to Isdn – SIO department (self-install section).
The ISDN people will phone me next, hopefully during the course of today.

Conversation 2.
She then phoned me again at 11:54.

She says I cannot do a self-install because a technician has to come round to remove the NTU.
29th of December would be the date that they ‘install’ ADSL for me.
At this point I was fuming :mad:

I then ran the following by her:
If I get them to remove the ISDN NTU then they won’t charge me for that.
Then after that I can order ADSL self-install.
It’s going to be a long process she says (with the hint of smugness in her voice at the futility of what it is I am trying to do here). In other words, she just wants me to give in and pay the R437.50… [Can anyone clarify, do these people earn commission or do they just enjoy making their customers’ lives difficult? :confused: ]

She says that they cannot keep the order as it stands if I want a self-install. They would have to cancel it. (i.e. Back to the end of the queue I go :mad: )
I asked to speak to her manager and she said the manager would say the same thing. At this point I am doing everything in my power not to swear the living daylights out of her.

If I needed time to decide I can call her back she said.

This is total incompetence on their part, and a ‘customer is always wrong’ attitude. One (Telkom) hand cannot communicate effectively in telling the other hand what needs to be done. Their order system is totally inflexible! How hard is it to tell the technicians that they must remove the ISDN NTU but allow a self-install (i.e. Allow me to plug in my own damn micro-filters!)??? :mad:

Course of action
In the end I may just get them to remove the ISDN NTU. Then order an ADSL self-install after that. It might mean waiting another 4-5 weeks, but waiting till their designated 29 December ‘installation’ date might as well be 29 January 2007 as far as I am concerned. It’s an inconvenient date for me, and almost 2 weeks later than I wanted it.

Perhaps a complaint to ICASA is warranted, not that it will do any good…
 
ryan411 said:
...
It’s going to be a long process she says (with the hint of smugness in her voice at the futility of what it is I am trying to do here). In other words, she just wants me to give in and pay the R437.50… [Can anyone clarify, do these people earn commission or do they just enjoy making their customers’ lives difficult? :confused: ]
...
Click to expand...
Some of the call centre people have managed to avoid the mandatory new employee brainwashing sessions, so there are some that are actually polite and helpful, but there are many others that behave like they are your personal god and saviour and you should worship them whilst they steal your money, and yes they have to be working for additional commission...
 
Update on the never-ending story...

<rant>
The incompetence of Telkom is staggering... at present I wanna find out some names & surnames of people who are the responsible for telling me I can't do a self-install ISDN to ADSL conversion. Once I have that I will cancel the ISDN separate to the ADSL order, as ic suggested originally.

GangStarr is/was helping before the Xmas break, but even so, I don't seem to be getting any joy from Telkom.

The ADSL scheduling dept owes me a phone call and has not done so for the past 3/4 weeks. [Maybe that Bonita person (in the ADSL scheduling dept) is purposefully trying to make my life hard by not calling me...]

Apparently my order has a status of 'cancel in progress', but the simple question of who cancelled my order and why was initially met with an 'i dont know' by Tshepo (ADSL progress support), 2 days ago. Then he figured out that Xolani had initiated the cancel request on 4 Jan... but couldn't tell me why. Told me to call back yesterday because he cannot call out.

I called back yesterday, only to be told by Phadi he cannot put me thru to Tshepo. I asked for the supervisor and Phadi asked couldn't he help me. I told him no he could not, got his super's name (Mr Abe), and then told him to tell Mr Abe to call me back. 26 hours later and no call back as yet.

I'm going to post on HelloPeter if I have time and try calling Telkom again to see if I get any joy. Then will escalate it to the office of the Regional Customer Care Manager. This is suggested under the heading 'Resolving your complaints' on page 20 of my Telkom White Pages book.

Over and out.
</rant>

[Edit] I don't know if I am Arthur or Martha anymore with my Telkom issues... ok, it's partially due to a lack of sleep, but mostly to do with how Telkom operates. They confuse you in a massive matrix of incompetence and non-compliance!
 
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HelloPeter ...

The HelloPeter complaining helps to a certain degree... someone from 'head office' calls you after 1 or 2 days after posting there.

Lorraine called me to try to resolve the problem, but could not actually tell me why my order was cancelled and then buggered off and I have not heard from her since.

I lodged another complaint about the Free Minutes reporting on the Online Bill site, and then Denise phoned me from head office. I took the opportunity to tell her my sob story about ADSL self-install from ISDN, and she says I should be able to do it. I have her email and she's just waiting on my go-ahead. Will probably wait the normal (maybe fast-tracked?) period of time for ADSL self-install once I give the ok. Only thing delaying me now is that I have to use up my 150 internet hours if I don't want to pay for something that I am not using because Telkom can't refund me the internet hours not used. Have to cancel Telkom Closer 2 before going ahead with the ADSL order because Telkom systems are too retarded to handle two orders at a time. Existing orders are cancelled if a new one is initiated.

Probably by the time I get ADSL Neotel will be here or I would have moved house... *sigh*
 
I had a similar experience with them. The line I was looking to convert to ADSL was on special equipment, so techies had to come out to switch them around.

I was told I wouldn't be charged for this, as they weren't there to do the ADSL install, just sort the lines. But naturally I was anyway.

I've queried the installation charge but nobody ever got back to me and sadly I lost the reference number. So I will try and call them, get the reference number again and if all else fails log another query.

If I still have no joy I'll do the Hello Peter thing. See if I can get through to anybody with half a clue.

It's a strong indication of Telkom's (lack of) call center training that they seem to need a group of Hello Peter lackeys that sit higher up the food chain to deal with issues the call centers are too stupid to.
 
Telkom, Telkom such a waste of time but unfortunatly we are so dependant on these people!!! So sad actually... they treat us like crap when we expect good customer service...
Im all for technology, rather brillinat move of them to set up the self service adsl... well, someone at least is thinking but of course its too suit their own pockets... i wish the thinker can come up with a plan on how to keep the customers happy. That plan will not take up much thinking...... Stop ripping us off with these high prices.. you can start there!!
 
To follow on, I called Telkom back and they informed that they had already put through a credit on my next invoice for the installation charge, so we got a refund.

A+ for sorting it out quickly
F for nobody ever contacting me to let me know as much

Ironic that communication is Telkom's weakest area. :p
 
ADSL Self Install

I decided to get adsl after doing some r&d and browsing on this forum!:D I applied for the service on the 1 Feb 2006. I currently have a prepaid line.

I went into one of those Telkom shops and placed my order.
1st thing I had to do was convert my Prepaid to normal line. I opted for Telkom closer 2.
2nd thing was to get the line 384/128. I opted for the self install.

The person helping me could not confirm that I will be allowed to get the self install but someone from the adsl dep. would contact me in due course??? and I signed the SIO document*found this strange*:confused:

I did this in the evening so they said they would call me with a ref no. the next day. They called me and now I have my ref no. My line was also converted the next day to Closer 2.

I am waiting to see what they going to tell me about the self install. Will keep you guys posted. :cool:
 
@Ocsic9: Any particular reason u went with Closer 2?
U r aware that during peak times u will be charged 68c per min for calls to landline numbers?

Edit: Check out page 9 of this thread. Especially listen to what ic says :)
 
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IMO Closer options 1 & 2 & 3 are complete & utter ripoffs, the only ones worth considering are Closer options 4 & 5 - especially if you have|want ADSL bcos the price of ADSL is included in 4 & 5 but not in 1 & 2 & 3.

Having said that, remember that Telkodemonopolies' Closer strategy is to discourage all of us customers from using VoIP and to ensure that we have a minimum monthly spend via the price of a Closer package.

Closer is just another of Telkodemonopolies' plans to get customers to sell their souls to this beastly telecoms demon.
 
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